Month: August 2023

Umberto Rispoli, Joel Rosario Tied In Jockey Of The Week Voting

Outstanding riding achievements on opposite coasts at the nation's premier summer meets by Umberto Rispoli at Del Mar and Joel Rosario at Saratoga lead to a tie for Jockey of the Week August 14 through August 20. The panel of racing experts could not separate Rispoli's win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Rosario's two stakes victories including the G1 Alabama.

The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Rispoli was aboard Anisette for the second time for trainer Leonard Powell in the G1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Off as the favorite in the field of 10, Anisette trailed by as many as a dozen lengths but Rispoli didn't seem concerned. Turning for home, Anisette and Rispoli began weaving through horses when a seam opened on the rail. With an impressive turn of foot, the pair went on to a 2 3/4-length win for 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.15.

“I knew I was on the best filly and that helped me ride her the way I did,” said Rispoli. “I thought about going outside and I knew the pace was not in my favor, but then things opened a bit inside and I went. They tell me I ride like (new Hall of Famer) Fernando Toro did. I know what that means. It's a great honor.”

Rosario started the race week on Wednesday at Saratoga on Silver Skillet for trainer Christophe Clement in the Suzie O'Cain Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. Off as the 3-1 second choice, Silver Skillet raced in sixth, then on the far turn took control and rolled to win with authority in 1:41.67 for the 1 1/16-mile turf test.

Riding for four-time Eclipse Award trainer Chad Brown, Rosario was aboard Randomized in the G1 Alabama, Saratoga's premier race for 3-year-old fillies. Off as the fifth choice in the field of 10, Randomized broke on top and made every pole a winning one for a four length victory in 2:03.07 for 1 1/4 miles, defeating Grade 1 winners Wet Paint and Defining Purpose.

“She was moving so well, nice and easy all around, she's just a nice filly, but a mile and one-quarter is a long ways, so you have something for the end,” said Rosario who won his second Alabama. “It looked like she did it real easy. I asked her turning for home and it looked like she would just start running, so that was a really good performance.”

Rispoli and Rosario out-polled Axel Concepcion who won a stakes race at Laurel and posted 10 wins to lead all jockeys for the week, Flavien Prat with a graded stakes win at Saratoga, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two stakes wins at Saratoga.

Special mention goes to Abel Lezcano who showed incredible athleticism at Hawthorne on Sunday to stay on his mount, Christmas Present after his right stirrup broke. Undeterred by the scary incident, Lezcano rode the next four races on the card and won the day's finale.

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Heart’s Cry’s Continuous Impresses In The Great Voltigeur

Coolmore and Westerberg's Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}–Fluff {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had failed to get his nose in front in three starts since saluting in last term's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud and bounced back under a Ryan Moore masterclass to claim a career high in Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. at York. Detached in rear and patiently ridden as the hitherto undefeated Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) set searching fractions up front, the 4-1 chance inched ever closer in the straight to launch his challenge passing the quarter-mile marker and powered clear thereafter to easily account for Godolphin's Castle Way (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) by an impressive 3 3/4 lengths. Gregory stayed on well once headed to finish one length adrift in third.

Continuous opened his sophomore campaign with a third in May's G2 Dante S. at this venue, but was no match for Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) when eighth in the June 4 G1 Prix du Jockey Club next time and went postward for this G1 St Leger staging post coming back off a second behind King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the June 23 G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot.

“He's a lovely horse who is progressing, he has enough class for a mile-and-a-half and could stay further,” revealed Aidan O'Brien. “He's an exciting horse and he handles an ease in the ground well as he has a bit of a round action. That was fast ground today, Ryan [Moore] said it was quicker than it was at Royal Ascot, and he didn't seem to have any problem with it. He came here in the Dante and needed the run very badly and ran a massive race. A little bit of class usually outs, especially if the pace is even. I asked Ryan about the St Leger trip and he said he doesn't need a mile-and-six, but he said you wouldn't rule it out.”

Charlie Appleby expects Castle Way to bypass the St Leger and will look to North America for the runner-up's next outing. “The fractions looked very quick and William [Buick] said he was close enough, but fair play to the winner, he was the fastest horse in the race,” the trainer reflected. “The main thing to take out of it is that William did say the mile-and-six in the Leger will probably stretch him. I think I'll most definitely put him on the radar for [the Jockey Club Derby at] Belmont, where the quick ground will suit him, and that will most likely be our next stop. He's got a great attitude and he tries, but he was beaten by a better horse today.”

John Gosden felt Gregory ran the ideal St Leger trial and said, “We felt we couldn't go from Royal Ascot [straight] to the Leger so we had to come here, even with a three-pound penalty. They went a strong pace and there were two others forcing it, but what I loved about it was that a furlong out he got going again. To me he's run the perfect trial for the Leger. I couldn't be more pleased and you can see by the size of him he's all about next year. One more run in the Leger and then Cup races next year.”

Pedigree Notes

Continuous is the third of six foals and one of two scorers out of a winning full-sister to G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}, herself the dam of G1 2000 Guineas-winning sire Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The March-foaled bay's dam is also a full-sister to dual Group 1-placed G3 Silver Flash S. victrix Promise To Be True (Ire). His stakes-winning second dam Sumora (Ire) (Danehill) is kin to G1 Oaks and G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) from the family of multiple Group 1-winning sire Dr Devious (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}). Continuous is half to the unraced 2-year-old filly Angelica Tree (Ire) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and a yearling colt and a weanling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB).

Wednesday, York, Britain
SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR S.-G2, £250,000, York, 8-23, 3yo, c/g, 11f 188yT, 2:27.45, g/f.
1–CONTINUOUS (JPN), 128, c, 3, by Heart's Cry (Jpn)
1st Dam: Fluff (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sumora (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Rain Flower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & Westerberg; B-Wynatt, Chelston Ireland & Orpendale Bloodstock (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £141,775. Lifetime Record: GSW-Fr, 6-3-1-1, $317,416. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Castle Way (GB), 128, c, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Beach Frolic (GB), by Nayef. (425,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Highclere Stud & Floors Farming (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. £53,750.
3–Gregory (GB), 131, c, 3, Golden Horn (GB)–Gretchen (GB), by Galileo (Ire). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £26,900.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1, 11. Odds: 4.00, 6.50, 0.73.
Also Ran: Artistic Star (Ire), Canberra Legend (Ire).

 

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Paul Hanagan to Retire on Friday

Paul Hanagan, the former dual champion jockey in Britain, has announced that he will retire from the saddle at York on Friday. The 42-year-old will take one ride at the track in the first race for Richard Fahey, the trainer with whom he has enjoyed a significant portion of his success.

Hanagan was crowned champion apprentice in 2002 and eight years later gained the first of his two consecutive championships in the senior ranks, becoming the only jockey based in the north of England to have landed the title more than once. He notched his first Group 1 victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on the Fahey-trained Wootton Bassett (GB), who is now one of the most sought-after stallions in Europe.

In 2012, Hanagan was named as first jockey for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum on the retirement of Richard Hills and was retained to ride the Shadwell horses for five years. During that period he won his first British Classic on Taghrooda (GB) in the Oaks as well as a trio of Group 1 sprints on Muhaarar (GB). Simultaneously maintaining his association with Fahey's Musley Bank Stables, he also partnered Mayson (GB) in the July Cup to post a first Group 1 in Britain for both himself and the trainer, and later Sands Of Mali (Fr) in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint.

Speaking on Racing TV during the first day of York's Ebor meeting, Hanagan said, “As you can imagine it's quite emotional. It's difficult, I think any professional sportsperson will tell you, especially doing it as long as I've been doing it for.

“There are a few things involved in making my decision, I had a pretty bad fall about two years ago and I've never quite been the same after it, I fractured my back in three places. It's not so much painful riding, but it's getting to the level of fitness you need to be at to be a professional jockey and I don't think I was getting to that standard.”

He added, “Looking back, I was very proud of myself for getting where I have [after the fall]. I managed to ride a couple of Royal Ascot winners after coming back, but keeping the fitness right was causing me a bit of pain and retiring here at the Ebor meeting feels right.

“I was two-times champion jockey as a kid from Warrington without a lot of racing experience, so I keep telling kids it can be done.”

Reflecting on his career highlights, Hanagan continued, “I've been blessed to ride some beautiful horses for some wonderful people. To win a Classic on Taghrooda was special – I don't think I'll ever forget my family's faces that day.

“Muhaarar is probably one of the best sprinters I rode and I was honoured to have a five-year association with Sheikh Hamdan and I had an even longer career with Richard Fahey, who I owe a lot to.”

One of an elite band of jockeys to have ridden more than 2,000 winners, a landmark he reached in November 2020, he has had two winners in the last week, including on Macarone (GB) at Beverley for Rob Burrow, the rugby league star who is battling Motor Neurone Disease.

Hanagan will take up a new role with the Good Racing Company in the near future. 

He said, “I'm really looking forward to working with The Good Racing Company, a charity that raises funds for different charities, namely working with Rob Burrow, and I'm going to be guiding them on which horses to buy.

“I rode Rob Burrow's first winner at Beverley the other day and that was very special. I've been riding for 26 years and it would be criminal of me not to do something more in racing.”

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First-Crop Barkley Colt Tops Washington Summer Yearling, Mixed Sale

The 56th annual Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale was held under sunny skies on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash.

After seven outs, 75 yearlings went through the sales ring. Topping this year's sale was Hip 71, a handsome colt by first-year stallion Barkley, a son of Munnings who won the 2018 Grade 3 Longacres Mile and five other Emerald Downs stakes before retiring to Nina and Ron Hagen's El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw.

The Hagens bred the sale-topper, who was one of a trio of yearlings purchased by the San Francisco-based SmilingTigerStallion.com. The other two yearlings, both $32,000 purchases, were Hip 3, a Smiling Tiger filly out of stakes winner Rewritten (she was the highest-priced filly) consigned by Robin Mason, Critter Creek Farm, agent; and  Hip 48, an Outwork half-brother to three-time stakes winner Slack Tide and recent Del Mar maiden special weight winner Impeachalot. A son of Sir Prancealot (Ire), Impeachalot was the 2022 WTBOA sale topper and races for Philip Lebherz and Richard Meister. Both colts were bred and consigned by Terry and Mary Lou Griffin's Griffin Place and are out of their stakes-placed mare Impeached.

The second highest-priced yearling came from the Griffin Place consignment, Hip 75, a son of G1 Blue Grass Stakes winner Brody's Cause, the first foal out of Washington champion racemare No Talking Back, whose first three dams were also Washington champions. Popular Emerald Downs trainer Bonnie Jenne signed the ticket for $52,000.

Hip 57, a colt from the final crop of California-based Vronsky out of three-time Washington champion Lady Rosberg, consigned by Griffin Place as agent for Darlyne Krieg, brought a bid of $38,000 from California trainer Andy Mathis.

Also bringing bids of $25,000 or more were: Hip 1, a Take Charge Indy colt that California trainer Mark Glatt purchased for $32,000 from the Griffin Place consignment; Hip 54, a colt from the first crop of G1 Pacific Classic winner Higher Power out of Connie Belshay's stakes winner Kiss Me that was hammered down to buyer Where We At for $27,000;  and Hip 31, an Om half-brother to Washington titleholders Miss Prospector and Brilliant Bird bred by Bret and Julie Christopherson (Bar C Racing Stables, agent) and purchased by John and Janene Maryanski and Gerry and Gail Schneider for $25,000.

The 58 yearlings sold for a $730,200 total, a $12,863 average (down 27.2 percent from 2022) and a $6,500 median (down 45.8 percent). RNAs dropped to seven from nine when 76 yearlings sold in 2022.

The one mixed session 2-year-old sold for $5,000 and the 15 mares going through the sales ring brought a $16,850 total and $1,123 average. Hip 214, Grazen Valor, a $47,346 winning full sister to Grade 2 stakes winner and California horse of the year Lieutenant Dan, brought a $7,500 bid from Carl Seymour of Coulee Dam. After producing her first foal, a filly by Code of Honor, this past spring, the 6-year-old mare wasn't covered.

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